Broken Mirror
by Lily-Starbuck
Summary: Sometimes, things aren't always what they seem... Sequel to my fanfic I Spy so it's probably best if you read that first. There may be some MSR... but who knows.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is the sequel to my previous fanfiction "I Spy", so it's probably a good idea to read that first. You can find it by going into my author's page. Enjoy!

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Chapter One.

She had no idea what had made her visit the bar that night. She had been driving past in her car and pulled over on impulse. She didn't frequent bars much; truth was she wasn't much of a drinker. She chose an empty stool at the bar and ordered a vodka and Diet Coke – her drink of choice from way back when in college. She hoped her pallet still had a taste for it. She took a sip from her glass and placed it on the bar in front of her.

Absentmindedly, she twirled the ice around in her glass and regarded her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. She had a pretty average shaped face, crystal clear blue eyes framed by long lashes, luscious full lips accentuated with a thin coat of light brown lipstick, paleish skin outlined by a mass of thick auburn hair that ended slightly below her jaw. Her face was perfect, untouched save for the faded scar on her left cheek, a reminder of yet another horrific event in her chaotic life.

Taking another, slightly longer sip of her drink she shifted her gaze to look around the room. Her eyes did a sweep of the bar, noting everything, even the tiniest detail. She then prepared to take a closer look at the other occupants. This precision and careful attention to detail was nothing new to her; Special Agent Dana Scully did this every day of her life.

The bar wasn't exactly quiet, which was a little surprising; it was a Wednesday after all. A group of men in suits sat round a table in the corner talking loudly. Businessmen discussing that day's big success. On a table further over from them, a woman sat hunched over her drink. Scully could tell she'd been crying; lines of black mascara ran down her face like roads on a map. In the other corner of the room, a group of male college students were laughing and joking loudly, trying to get the attention of some female students on another table.

Scully's attentions were diverted suddenly by a loud sob that emanated from the panda eyed woman sat alone. A female bartender walked over to her, placed an arm around her shoulders and stood her up, all the while whispering something no one else could hear. The woman obviously agreed with what was being said, as she nodded and headed towards the bars exit. Scully was all set to follow suit when a voice to her left stopped her.

It was deep with a slight accent to it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She turned round on her stool to see whom this mysterious voice belonged to and was met by a man, tall – roughly 6 feet 1. He had a slightly squared jaw with two fullish lips set into a smile above it. When Scully reached his eyes, a kind of gray-violet color, they met and locked with hers. She felt a bizarre sensation in her stomach, like nausea only more intense. His smile grew wider as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Is this seat taken?" He gestured to the stool next to her. She took note of the absence of a wedding ring, without knowing quite why.

"No. Go ahead." There were a few moments of silence as he sat down and made himself comfortable. He then turned to face her.

"I couldn't help but notice you. I haven't seen you here before."

"To be honest I've never been here before. I'm not really much of a drinker."

"Well I'm glad you chose tonight to come in." She smiled slightly and looked down at her glass. There were a few beats of silence.

"God you must think I'm really rude. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Michael Collins." He extended a hand towards her, which she accepted.

"I'm Dana. Dana Scully." His hand felt warm and gentle wrapped around her own. Suddenly he raised her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on it, just behind her knuckle. She flushed a little. She'd never had a man do that to her before, at least not in the past ten or so years. He released her hand reluctantly before turning to the bar.

"May I buy you a drink?" She glanced down at her glass. She did have to drive home, but even after one more she'd still be below the limit.

"Sure," she replied. He smiled at her before turning back to the bar.

"I'll have a beer and whatever this lovely lady is having." The bartender then turned away to get their drinks. There were a few moments of silence until he returned with their respective beverages, setting them down on the counter before busying himself with another waiting customer.

"So Dana, what is it you do for a living?" Scully took a sip of her drink, subtly stalling. She'd been dreading this question since he'd started talking to her. She didn't get guys talking to her much, but when they did and she told them she was an FBI agent, they ran a mile. She'd learnt the hard way to lie about what she did until she was sure they wouldn't mind. Not that any of her relationships had ever gotten that far since she joined the Bureau, but that wasn't the point.

"I'm a doctor," she replied, replacing her glass on the paper coaster in front of her.

"Really? What kind of doctor?" He seemed genuinely interested in her, which surprised her a little.

"I specialize in forensic pathology." His eyebrows rose a bit.

"You must have a very strong stomach. I could never do anything like that." She smiled at his sort of compliment.

"How about you? What do you do?"

"Me? I have a pretty boring office job. Your typical nine to five arrangement really."

"Do you live around here?" She asked, running a finger round the rim of her glass.

"Sort of, I live just outside Arlington. How about you?"

"Georgetown," she replied. She was kind of starting to like this man.

Scully glanced at her watch. 11:58. She had to be up early for a meeting with Skinner. Finishing the rest of her drink, she made a move to get up.

"Listen, I would love to stay and talk with you some more but I have to be up early tomorrow for work." He nodded in understanding and rose as well. He helped her slip into her coat before putting on his own. "You don't have to leave on my account."

"It's time I was going anyway. Let me walk you out?" She smiled yes and they walked toward the door and out into the night. Scully shivered slightly and pulled her coat tighter to her against the biting January wind. When they reached her car, Scully stopped walking. She turned to face him, leaning slightly against the car. Michael was the first one to speak.

"Dana, I really enjoyed talking to you tonight and it's a shame you have to go. I'd really like to get to know you better; you seem a very interesting person. Would it be rude of me to ask for your phone number?"

The sensible part of Scully immediately protested. How could she give her number to someone she'd just met in a bar, whom she knew next to nothing about? But a less rational part of her told her to go for it, bite the bullet and give the guy her number. After all, you never know what might happen. Finally she decided.

"Do you have a pen?" she said with a smile that he returned. He fumbled in his pockets for a bit before pulling out a pen and a napkin and handing them to Scully. She turned to lean on the roof of her car, quickly jotting down her name and numbers. Turning back round to face him, she handed the napkin and pen back. Michael glanced down at the napkin, reading what she'd written.

"My cell number is on there too," she explained. He nodded.

"Well, I'll call you then."

"I'd like that," she replied with a smile before unlocking her car and climbing in. She started her car and drove off, glancing in the rearview mirror to see him wave before turning a corner and losing him from her sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Scully woke with a start, sweat pouring from her. She glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. 5:33 am. She may as well get up now; she obviously wasn't going to get back to sleep. Pushing back the covers she swung her legs over the side and stood up. Shivering slightly she grabbed her robe and walked into the kitchen, wrapping it round her and tying it up as she went.

She poured herself a mug of coffee and went and sat down on the sofa, tucking her legs underneath her. She stared into space, lost in her thoughts. Why was it, two years after it had happened, she was still getting nightmares about what he'd done to her? They weren't as bad as they had been; before she'd been waking up 3 or 4 times a night, every night, with nightmares about it.

Now it was just occasionally, but they were still just as intense. She shivered involuntarily, thinking about the time Evan Chandler had held her captive and ultimately about how he'd raped and tortured her. At the time, she'd thought she would never be able to get back to normal, but gradually over the months and years that had passed she had regained some of the self-respect that Evan had robbed her of. The sound of her alarm coming from her bedroom jolted her back to reality. Slowly she stood, put her mug in the kitchen and walked to her bedroom to get ready for the day.

Scully reached the basement office in the FBI Building that she shared with her partner Special Agent Fox Mulder at about 7:45 am. She was surprised to find the door shut and locked; Mulder was usually always there before she was. Maybe he overslept, she thought to herself as she pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. Flipping on the light she bent to pick up the mail before walking over to her desk.

She'd been working with Mulder for nine years and she'd had a desk for about four of those years. She sat down and flipped on the computer before looking through the mail. There was one letter for her. Surprised; Mulder usually got all of the mail sent to their office, she put down the other letters and ripped hers open. She pulled out the contents, unfolded it and was about to read it when the telephone ringing interrupted her. Slightly annoyed, she picked up the phone; refolding the letter and shoving it back into its envelope.

"Scully?"

"Agent Scully, the Assistant Director would like to see you and Agent Mulder now instead of 8:30. Something else has come up for that time and the only other time he can see you is now." As Kimberly spoke, Scully glanced around at the otherwise empty office and wondering where the hell Mulder was. "Is that alright Agent?"

"Yes Kimberly, tell A.D. Skinner I'll be up in a few minutes." She hung up before Kimberly could query why she'd said 'I' and not 'we'. She immediately picked up the phone again and dialed Mulder's cell. She tapped her nails impatiently on the desk as she waited for it to connect and as it started ringing.

"C'mon, c'mon," she muttered under her breath. Suddenly the ringing stopped and a voice came down the line.

"Mulder."

"Mulder where the hell are you? Skinner's brought the meeting forward. He wants to see us now."

"Shit!" Came the reply from the other end of the line and Scully couldn't help but smile slightly.

"That doesn't answer my question," she replied with mock seriousness.

"I'm stuck in traffic. I've been sat in my car for about 15 minutes now and we've barely moved an inch. Do you think you can stall Skinman?"

"I don't think so. This is the only time he can see us."

"Goddamn it! I swear if this doesn't start moving soon I'm gonna start walking." On the other end of the line Scully shook her head.

"Mulder look I've got to go otherwise I'm gonna be late too. Just try to get here as soon as you can." She hung up the phone and dashed out of the office to the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys. Sorry about the delay in postage but I've been swamped with school, but I've been off yesterday and today after having an accident Saturday which has left me with at least one cracked rib, so I thought instead of being bored doing nothing or getting frustrated trying to finish off my Spanish work, I'd post some more story. Enjoy. And don't forget to review!!  
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A few minutes later she was sat in front of a very pissed off Assistant Director.

"Tell me Agent Scully, is Agent Mulder going to grace us with his presence today?"

"He's stuck in very bad traffic Sir. He'll be here as soon as he can."

"He'd better be Agent. Unless he wants to find himself suspended for 2 weeks."

Scully sucked in a silent breath, praying Mulder would arrive soon.

"Agent Scully, I called you and Agent Mulder to this meeting to talk to you about the X-Files. I have here you're last three cases. All unsolved. I've got my superiors breathing down my neck wanting to close the X-Files for good."

"They've tried to close us down before Sir…"

"But this time they mean it," Skinner cut her off before she could finish. "If you're success rate doesn't improve soon then I will be forced to give into the pressure I'm under and close the X-Files. Am I making myself clear?"

Scully nodded. Suddenly the door to the office opened, causing Scully and Skinner to turn and look. A very wet and bedraggled looking Mulder stepped into the office, closing the door after him.

"It's raining out," he said simply as he sat down in the chair next to Scully. She suppressed a smile as Skinner scowled at Mulder.

"Nice of you to join us Agent Mulder. Unfortunately I've said all I needed to say to Agent Scully so you will need to ask her. You may go now Agents." Skinner shot Mulder one more harsh look before going back to his paper work. Scully and Mulder rose and exited the office. Once they were inside the empty elevator Mulder began to speak.

"My car battery ran out after I managed to get through the traffic so I ended up walking here anyway."

"You're soaked," Scully said distractedly. Her mind had wandered back to the letter she'd left on her desk.

"Did I happen to mention that it's raining? Or did you zone out in Skinman's office as well?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

The elevator pinged and they stepped out into the corridor. They walked to the office in silence and Scully straight away sat down at her desk.

"Did you get the mail?" Mulder ask, slipping out of his wet jacket and hanging it up on the coat stand.

"Yeah," she replied, handing him everything except the letter she'd already opened.

"Thanks." He sat down at his desk and started opening letters. When she was sure he was preoccupied with his own mail, Scully pulled out her own letter and began to read it. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes traveled further down the page. After a few minutes of reading she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip before letting out a quiet sigh. But not quiet enough. Mulder looked up from his own mail and turned to stare at her.

"Scully?" he questioned gently. "You ok?" She nodded slowly and silently, eyes still closed. She placed the letter faced down on the desk before opening her eyes and brushing away a rogue tear that threatened to fall. Wordlessly Mulder stood and walked over to her chair, crouching down beside it. "Bad news?" he asked.

"The chief of the DC police department wanted to inform me that they have decided to stop the investigation into the whereabouts of Evan Chandler. They have had no luck or leads in the past nine months so they feel any further investigation into the matter would be a waste of police time and resources. They are very sorry for any inconvenience or distress this decision may cause…" Scully trailed off, her voice cracking.

Mulder placed a tender hand on her back and rubbed gently. "I suppose it's a good thing. It means I can get on with my life with out having this hanging over me." She wiped away another tear that had started it's journey down her cheek.

Mulder nodded silently, privately disagreeing. He thought that Evan Chandler was too dangerous to still be roaming around America somewhere to do as he pleased. He belonged in jail. Mulder just hoped that he never bumped into Evan; he'd kill him for what he'd done to Scully.

After a few moments, Scully regained her customary composure and Mulder went back to his desk. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Scully glance at the letter one last time before screwing it up into a ball and throwing it into the waste paper basket. His heart gave a slight tug at the expression on her face; lost and hurt.

He wished he could wrap her in his arms and protect her from anything that would hurt her but he couldn't; her walls wouldn't let him. He sighed inwardly as both he and Scully got down to their respective paper work in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Dana Scully's apartment

7:06 pm.

Scully unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside. It had been a very long day and she'd just spent the last half hour stuck in traffic. All she wanted to do was shut out the world and take a nice long, hot bubble bath. She made her way through her living room, shedding her coat, kicking off her shoes and placing her briefcase on her desk, pressing the play button on her flashing answering machine. As she passed the table she placed her gun, badge and handcuffs on it before walking into the kitchen to get a drink. She poured herself a glass of water and went back into the living room just as her messages started.

The first one was from her mother, inquiring about how she was, and reminding her that it was Bill's birthday soon and not to forget to call him. Scully rolled her eyes. She loved her mom, but sometimes she could be such a nag. The second message was from her brother Charlie. She was really sorry she'd missed his call. She very rarely got to speak to him as he was always away with the Navy. He asked how she was, mentioned he had some leave and asked her to call him when she could. He finished with a little joke that made Scully smile. She was about to go into the bathroom and run her bath when the last message started up.

"Hi Dana it's Michael. I don't know if you remember me from the bar last night. Anyway I was just looking through my pockets and found your number and I thought I'd give you a call. Listen, I was wondering if you'd maybe like to meet for another drink sometime, so I can get to know you better. Maybe tomorrow night? Give me a ring sometime before tomorrow night on 555-39772 and we can sort something out. Hope to see you soon. Bye."

Scully smiled again before picking up the phone. Purely on impulse, she dialed the number and placed the receiver to her ear. The phone rang once, twice before a voice on the other end answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi Michael. It's Dana."

His voice seemed to perk up a bit. "Hi. How are you?"

"I'm ok. I just got your message. I'd love to meet with you again."

"Great," he replied. The smile was evident in his voice. "There's this little bar I know in Georgetown called O'Malley's. How about there?"

"Sure, I know it.. What time is ok for you?"

"How about 7:30?" Scully thought a moment. Tomorrow was Friday. They always finished early on a Friday, so that would give her plenty of time to come home and get ready.

"Sure. 7:30's fine."

"Great so I'll see you then?"

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye." With that Scully hung up the phone and a funny feeling hit her in the stomach again. I think I could potentially like this guy, she thought as she headed for the bathroom. She couldn't wait till tomorrow night.  
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Hope yall like it, sorry it's a bit short but I've been ill since Sunday :-( which sucks. Anyhoo, reviews may well speed up my recovery hint hint so get clicking on that button!!!!

Lily  
-x-


	5. Chapter 5

The next night Scully arrived outside the bar a little after 7:30. She'd decided to walk to this bar, as it was closer than the other one; a mere two blocks from her apartment. She checked her reflection in the wing mirror of a nearby car. It was another cold night; a light snow was already beginning to fall. She made her way into the bar, glancing around for Michael. It didn't take her long to find him; as soon as he spotted her he stood and waved an arm. She smiled before crossing the room and sitting down opposite him at the table. He had already gotten her a drink.

"It's nice to see you again." Michael was the first to talk.

"Likewise."

"You're probably going to think this is weird but I've been thinking about you a lot since the other night."

"I don't think that's weird." Definitely not in my world, she thought. He smiled widely at her. "So tell me a little more about yourself," Scully probed a bit, taking a sip of her drink.

"There isn't really that much to tell," he replied. "I lead a pretty boring life."

"That can't be true. Do you have any family? Brothers or sisters?" His face changed slightly at that question. "Is something wrong?"

"No. It's ok. I did have a brother, but he was killed in action. He was a Marine."

"I'm sorry," Scully replied. "I know what it's like to lose someone. Both my father and my sister are dead." The pair fell into a silence that was broken a few minutes later by the sound of Scully's cell phone chirping. Slightly annoyed, she pulled it from her pocket and rose from the table, offering an 'Excuse me' before walking towards the bathrooms and answering the call.

"Scully?"

"Hey are you ok? It took you a while to answer the phone." Scully's jaw set in annoyance.

"I'm fine Mulder, what's the problem?"

"Well I got no answer on your home so I figured you must be out."

"You figured right," she retorted, a little sharply.

"Oh, so am I interrupting a hot date?" The amusement in his voice was more than a little evident, which rubbed Scully up the wrong way.

"As a matter of fact you are." Silence from the other end. "Contrary to popular opinion, I am actually a human who goes on dates."

"So who's the lucky guy?" If Scully didn't know any better, she would've sworn there was a hint of jealousy in his voice. But there was a more obvious cocky note in it that really got on her nerves.

"No one you know. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to the conversation you interrupted. I'll see you at work tomorrow." And with that she hung up without giving Mulder the opportunity to say anything else. After a moments thought, she switched her cell phone off, before walking back over to the table and sitting down.

"I'm sorry about that. A colleague thought I was supposed to be working tonight." Michael smiled slightly and then struck up another conversation. All thoughts of Mulder were instantly forgotten.

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Hey. Sorry postage is a little sporadic, but I've been real busy. Plus I'm going to New York for a few days next week, so I won't be able to post again til I get back, school work permitting.  
I may post some more before I leave if I get the chance.

Review please lol.  
Lily  
-x-


	6. Chapter 6

A couple hours later, Scully glanced at her watch. 11:38. Three hours had passed and she'd barely noticed.

"Wow is that really the time?" Michael had looked at his watch also.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile as she stood up. "I really should be going. I've got to visit my mother early tomorrow." Michael stood also, helping her with her coat before slipping into his own.

Stepping into the cold night was quite a shock after the warmth of the bar. Scully shivered slightly and pulled her coat tighter around her body.

"Where's your car?" Michael asked, his breath forming in clouds.

"I walked. My apartment's only two blocks away."

"Then I'll walk with you. A lady shouldn't be walking the streets alone at night. Besides, I need the exercise."

"You look in pretty good shape to me," Scully replied, and blushed slightly when she realized what she'd said. "What about your car?" She changed the subject quickly.

"It's in the shop. I got a cab here. So there's no excuse." Scully smiled and the pair began walking in the direction of Scully's building.

They walked mainly in silence, enjoying each other's company. When they reached Scully's building they both stopped.

"How did you know this was the right building?" She asked.

"Lucky guess I guess," he replied with a smile that she returned. He took a step closer to her and touched her arm gently. "I really enjoyed tonight Dana, you're really good company and I'm really starting to like you. A lot."

"If I'm honest I'm starting to like you a lot too." She smiled and looked into his eyes. There was something about them that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she ignored it for now. She was thoroughly enjoying the moment. He cupped her cheek gently with his hand and rubbed his thumb across it. Scully closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying his touch. She opened her eyes and they locked with his. He leaned in slowly until he captured her lips in a soft, tender kiss.

Scully's first instinct was to pull away; she hadn't been kissed by anyone since Evan. But Michael was so nice, she felt sort of comfortable with him and she hadn't been comfortable with a man except Mulder since it'd happened. So instead of pulling away, she kissed him back. After a few moments he pulled away and she opened her eyes.

"I'll call you soon," he said before turning around and walking down the steps to the sidewalk. Scully turned to her door and unlocked it before stepping inside, a smile on her face. She felt like a teenager coming home from a big date. And she liked the feeling.

From his spot in his car across the street he'd seen everything. He'd seen them stop outside her building, talk for a bit. And then it'd happened. The guy had kissed her. He didn't know why, but he'd felt a slight twinge of jealousy. He'd watched as they'd broken away and she turned and went inside. Then he made his move. He got out of the car and crossed the street to where the guy was walking.

"Excuse me," he called and the guy stopped walking and turned around to face him.

"Can I help you?" He replied. There was something in his eyes that was a little strange, bordering on slightly unnerving. How could Scully like this guy?

"Yeah I think you can. I'm a friend of Dana Scully's…"

"Well does she know that you're spying on her?" That got Mulder's back up a bit.

"I'm merely looking out for her."

"I think she's old enough to look out for herself."

"You don't know her, she's not always as strong as she seems." The guy didn't have an answer for that one. "Look I can't tell her what to do, she's her own person and if she wants to go out with you that's her business. But I swear to God, if you hurt her or mess her about you'll have me to deal with. Are we clear on that?"

"Crystal," he replied, an arrogance in his voice that really rubbed Mulder the wrong way. Then, after shooting Mulder a look he turned on his heel and walked down the street. Mulder shook his head as he crossed the road back to his car. Why did Scully always date assholes? He couldn't understand what attracted her to them. With this thought in his head, Mulder started his car and drove off down the street.  
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Hey guys sorry it's been so long but I've been uber busy. New York was fab, but then I had to come back to mock exams in all my subjects, only one of which I knew about beforehand :( Now we're really getting into the swing of coursework, which really sucks, but brightside, it's only about a week til my birthday!!!!!!!! And I've passed my driving test so I have freedom!!!!!! Get in!  
At least this post was a bit longer than the last. I know people have been saying that my posts aren't long enough, so I'm working on that, as you can see lol.

Anyway, better go, I've rambled long enough hehehe.  
Oh and one more thing, don't forget to review!!!!  
Lily  
-x-


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Two

A week later Scully met Michael again. A case had come up the day after their last date, taking her out of town and preventing them from going out. She was at the restaurant when he arrived, only ten minutes after she had. As she stood up to greet him she noticed a nasty looking shiner on his left eye that was beginning to fade. Once he had sat down, she decided to ask about it.

"That looks pretty sore. How did you do it?"

"Oh, well after I left you at your building the other week I was walking back along the side walk when this guy comes across from the other side of the road and starts threatening me. He said he was a friend of yours." Scully's eyebrows shot up immediately.

"Did he give a name?"

"Yeah, um it was Mulder something." Scully's jaw set in anger. How dare he do that!

"Anyway, he said something like 'If you hurt her I'll kill you' then socked me right in the eye." Scully couldn't believe it. What gave Mulder the right to do that to a guy she went out with?

"I'll have words with him. I'm really sorry Michael. He had not right to do that to you."

"He was probably just concerned."

"That's beside the point! It still didn't justify him hitting you." Michael leaned across the table and took her hands in his.

"Let's not let him spoil our night, huh?" Scully smiled slightly and nodded. That was the last time Mulder was mentioned for the rest of the evening.

The next morning Scully got into work a little earlier than usual. She walked into the office at 7:30 am, hung her coat on the stand and put her briefcase by her desk before sitting down. Mulder watched her from his seat at his own desk.

"Quiet this morning aren't we?" She didn't reply, busing herself with her autopsy report notes. She was still fuming from Michael's revelation last night.

"Not in the mood to talk huh? Bad date?" That was it.

"As a matter of fact no. But in future stay the hell out of my private life. It's got nothing to do with you."

"Oh so he told you what I said?"

"Yes, although he didn't really have to show me what you did. What the hell possessed you to hit him Mulder?" His expression went blank.

"Hold on a second. Hit him? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You really think I'm going to fall for that? Come on Mulder give me some credit. I saw the shiner you gave him!"

"Scully he may have a shiner but I wasn't the one who gave it to him! All I said was that I know you're old enough to look after yourself but if he hurt you he'd have me to deal with. That was it."

"Save it Mulder," she spat. "I don't believe you. Just stay out of my private life from now on." Now it was Mulder's turn to get angry.

"So let me get this straight. You believe someone you've only know for what, five minutes over me, your partner whom you've known for nine years? Well that's loyalty for you."

"Don't you dare make this into a loyalty issue Mulder!"

"I didn't. You're the one who doesn't believe me when I'm telling the truth!"

"Mulder I don't want to hear it ok!" Seething, she went back to her notes and refused to utter another word. Mulder shook his head, feeling hurt, angry and confused. He hadn't laid a hand on that guy, and what he'd said he'd said because he was looking out for Scully and didn't want to see her hurt. Silently he went back to his paper work. Neither of them spoke another word for the rest of the day.

Later that evening Scully was sat working at her computer when a knock at the door disturbed her. With a slight sigh she got up, walked over to her front door and opened it. She was more than a little surprised to see Mulder standing there.

"Can I come in?" he asked after a couple of moments. She withdrew to let him pass before shutting the door and turning round to face him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Well?" she asked, waiting for his explanation.

"Look, I didn't come here for another argument. I can't take another day like today, you giving me the silent treatment. I want things to be ok with us, so I'm going to apologize, even though I've done nothing." Scully's eyebrow shot up.

"That's supposed to be an apology?"

"Yes, although I don't think I should be apologizing."

"Then why are you?"

"To keep the peace between us."

"Mulder if you really want to keep the peace you'll admit hitting him and stay out of my private life in future, ok?"

"No. I'm not admitting to something I haven't done!" Scully could feel she was losing her temper rapidly. She bit her lip, trying to control it.

"Look it's obvious you don't believe me so I really don't think there's any point continuing this discussion. I'm going to go. I'll see myself out." A slightly hurt look on his face, Mulder turned and walked out of Scully's apartment, shutting the door as he went.

As soon as he was gone Scully let out a loud sigh and flopped down on her sofa. She lent her chin in her hands and stared at the wall. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty for the way she'd been with Mulder. But he was the one in the wrong, why couldn't he just accept that? Shaking her head, she stood up and went back over to her desk. She had a mountain of paperwork to finish.

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Sorry it's taken a while for new postage, but I'm giving yall an extra helping to make up for it though.  
Lily  
-x-


	8. Chapter 8

The next night Scully invited Michael to watch a movie at her apartment. When he arrived she invited him in and told him to make himself comfortable. He sat down on the sofa and accidentally knocked her jacket on the floor. As he picked it up something fell out of the pocket. He bent over further to pick it up and was looking at it when Scully came back into the room. She froze when she realized what he was looking at; her badge.

"So this is what you really do?" he asked, never taking his eyes off the badge. "Special Agent Dana Scully. FBI." He then turned to look at her. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were getting along well."

"We are. I just don't meet many guys and if I tell the ones I do meet that I work for the Bureau they usually run a mile. That's why I didn't tell you."

"You lied about being a doctor."

"It was only half a lie. I'm a trained doctor I just don't practice. I'm sorry." She walked over and sat next to him on the couch.

"It's ok. Half lies I can deal with. Is there anything else you want to tell me?" She bit her lip and twisted her hands in her lap. Yea, she thought, there's a huge thing I probably should tell you. Suddenly Michael reached into her lap and took hold of her hands.

"Dana? You can tell me you know. I won't judge you." She liked him but did she really want to be telling him this? He placed his fingers under her chin and titled it until she was looking him in the eye, like Mulder had so many times. "Dana?" She took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak.

"There is something, I guess. I don't really talk about it anymore. About two years ago I was abducted by a man who held me captive for over a week and tortured me." She paused for a second, getting her emotions in check. She didn't know why, but whenever she even thought about her time with Evan, she got a little emotional. "He also raped me."

She looked at him; trying to read his expression, gauge his reaction. But his face was unreadable, blank. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He was silent for a few more moments before speaking.

"Did he go to jail?"

"He was put to trial and found guilty but he escaped on the way to prison. The police haven't been able to find him since." A tear threatened to escape from her eye but she brushed it away with a simple gesture. He placed his arms gently around her shoulders and pulled her until she was leaning against him. He smoothed her hair and just held her.

"I'm sorry."

"Why should you be? It's not your fault." He didn't answer. "Look, I think I've just about come to terms with this, I don't want it to affect us. So let's just not talk about it. Ok?" He smiled at her.

"Ok." He bent his head down and kissed her lightly before pulling away. "So, you said something about a movie?" She smiled before flipping the switch on the TV and then settling back on the sofa, leaning against Michael.

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There you go. Hope yall enjoy it, and if I don't post again before Christmas, have a good one. Oh, and don't forget to hit that little button that makes me happy... the review button!!!!  
Lily  
-x-


	9. Chapter 9

Three months later.

Scully breezed into the office a little earlier than usual, in a very good mood. She was finally starting to feel like everything was going right for her. She had been officially dating Michael for two months now and it was going great. Things were getting better and better between them and she felt as if, for the first time in ages – if not ever – that she was dating the right kind of guy. Not a psychopath, violent, married or a fetishist, things were definitely looking good at last. She smiled to herself as she hung up her coat and sat at her desk.

From his desk on the other side of the office Mulder watched her. He was hurt that she hadn't even said good morning to him. In the nine years they'd been working together she'd always found time to say good morning, even when she wasn't feeling great or pissed at him. After a few more minutes of silence Mulder decided he couldn't take it anymore. He dropped the folder he'd been reading loudly on the desk, causing Scully's head to snap up and turn to look in his direction.

"Good. Now you're actually acknowledging my presence maybe you can tell me what the hell is up with you." She looked at him slightly confused. But before she could say anything, he continued. "And don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. Since when do you completely ignore me when you walk in of a morning? Even when you've been pissed at me beyond belief you've still been able to manage a 'hello' or a 'good morning' if nothing else. So what's changed?" He stopped, leaving the question hanging in the air. Scully stared at him for a few moments, mouth slightly open. She took a breath and exhaled before going to answer.

"I'm sorry, Mulder, if you think I've been ignoring you. But if you want the truth I guess I just kinda. …Forgot." Off his look, she continued. "I know that sounds terrible, but I was a little preoccupied. I'm sorry, I really am." Mulder closed his eyes for a moment and looked away from her. When he opened them, even though his gaze was averted from her, she could still see the hurt in them. She bit her lip slightly, not really knowing what to say to him. Suddenly he stood up and moved toward the door.

"Mulder?"

"I'm going for a walk to clear my head," he replied abruptly. He was half way out the door when he stopped and turned back round to face her. "I hope he's worth it Scully, for your sake as well as mine." Without another word he walked out the door and down the hallway. When she'd heard the elevator doors ping shut and she knew he wasn't coming back, Scully dropped her head into her hands and sighed loudly.

Mulder returned, slightly less hurt, from his walk an hour later to an empty office. He walked over to his desk and sat down. It was a good five minutes before he noticed the note by his keyboard, written in Scully's handwriting. He picked it up and let his eyes wander over the words.

_Mulder, Gone to Quantico to file autopsy report. Back soon. Scully._

Fair enough, he thought to himself. He was actually a little surprised she'd told him; she'd become so closed off from him recently, hardly telling him anything. And it was all since she'd started dating that new guy. Mulder had only met him briefly but that was enough to make him dislike the guy. Sure, it seemed like he was treating Scully well enough, not that she would've said if he wasn't, but there was just something about him that Mulder didn't like.

But what? After meeting him, he'd chalked it up to his arrogance and slight jealousy that Scully was actually getting on with her life. But now he wasn't so sure. The sound of the phone ringing broke through his reverie. His knee jerk reaction was to reach for the phone on his desk but was surprised to find that the ringing was coming from Scully's extension. He stood up, crossed the office and answered the phone on the fourth ring, doing his best impression of a secretary.

"Hello basement, how may I direct your call?"

"Hi is Agent Scully there please?" Mulder paused, eyes sweeping round the room, apparently looking for Scully.

"No I'm sorry she's not here right now. Would you like to leave a message?" A pause at the other end.

"Yes. Tell her Michael Collins called to see if tonight was still ok. Think you can remember that?"

"I think so, but I'd better write it down, just incase," Mulder replied in his best dumb voice.

"Thank you," Michael replied curtly before hanging up. Mulder made a rude gesture to the receiver before replacing it and sitting back down at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desktop. After a moments thought he opened a drawer and pulled out a bundle of sharp pencils.

About a half hour later Scully walked into the office to find Mulder leaning back in his chair, aiming a pencil at the ceiling. There were already about 15 or 20 others already stuck there. He hadn't noticed her entrance so she stood in the doorway for a few minutes, watching him. Just as he took aim with the 25th pencil she stepped forward and spoke.

"Looks like you've had a productive afternoon," her tone was more than a little mocking. He jumped slightly and in his haste to sit upright, knocked his chair backwards and toppled off it, landing on the floor with a thump. Scully laughed a little as Mulder scrambled to his feet and stood the chair up again before sitting back down in it.

"Erm… yes my afternoon has been very productive. I've done quite a bit of paperwork." She raised her eyebrow and he shrugged sheepishly. Scully couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head before sitting down at her desk and opening a file. Mulder smiled slightly; did this mean she wasn't mad at him anymore? He hated it when there was friction between them, so he hoped that things were now ok, although he wasn't anxious to press the issue further, just incase.

About an hour later it hit him like a flood. The message from Michael; he'd completely forgotten about it!

"Um Scully?" She looked up from the paperwork she was doing.

"Mm?"

"While you were out Michael called." Her eyebrows rose at this and she could feel the anger boiling inside her. Why hadn't he said something as soon as she'd come in?

"Look I know you're gonna be angry with me for not telling you when you came in but I honestly forgot." She eyed him warily but said nothing, so he continued. "He said he called to see if tonight was still ok. That's all I know." Recognition registered on her face before she turned and picked up the receiver of her phone. After dialing the number she placed the handset to her ear and looked back over at Mulder, who had stood and was starting to walk across the room. She called his name and he turned back round.

"Where are you going?"

"I gathered you'd want some privacy so I thought I'd deliver my case report to Skinman." He was about to walk out the door when Scully's voice stopped him.

"Mulder?"

"Yea?"

"Thanks for passing on the message." Her expression had softened when he looked at her, and for a moment he felt his heart give a slight tug.

"No problem." He smiled before walking out the office. It was only after he'd gone that Scully noticed Michael's voice in her ear and began talking to him, confirming their plans for dinner that night.

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Sorry it's been a while since I posted, but I've been real busy. Hope yall are still reading and had a nice Christmas and New Year. I'm swamped with coursework and crap at the moment, but I'll try and post when I get a spare minute.  
And keep on hitting that little button lol.

Lily  
-x-


	10. Chapter 10

5 o'clock rolled round finally and Scully rose from her desk, flipping off her computer and gathering up her things. Mulder however remained motionless.

"Aren't you going home?" Scully inquired as she reached the door. He looked up from the file he was reading and shook his head.

"Nah, I've got some stuff I need to finish up here. You go though. Oh and Scully," he called as she was half way out the door. She poked her head back round the door jam. "Have a good date," he finished and she smiled.

"Thank you," Scully replied and disappeared from view again. Mulder listened to the sound of her heels clicking on the floor getting fainter and fainter until he heard the sound of the elevator doors ping open ad shut. He waited a few more minutes, making sure she wasn't coming back for anything she'd forgotten before making his move. He picked up the receiver of his phone extension and placed it to his ear before punching in a number. After a few rings somebody answered.

"Hi Agent Stone, this is Agent Mulder. Yea, I was phoning about that background check I requested, have you got the results of that yet? Thanks." After a few moments of silence Mulder spoke again. "The name? Michael Collins. Nothing? Ok, thanks Agent Stone." He said a quick goodbye before hanging up.

After a few moments contemplation Mulder grabbed the handset again and punched in a familiar number, placing the handset to his ear. A few rings later a voice answered.

"Hey guys, listen I'm on my way over. I need a little outside help on this one." With that he hung up, grabbed his jacket and was out the door.  
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A half hour later Mulder was stood outside the apartment door. He knocked a couple of times and waited. There were footsteps behind the door and the sound of several locks being undone before the door was pulled open to reveal Frohike stood there.

"Hey buddy come in." He withdrew to let him pass before shutting and locking the door behind him.

"What kind of help would you be needing?" Byers asked, standing from his seat in front of a computer.

"The slightly illegal kind," Mulder replied, shrugging off his jacket and placing it on a chair.

"Oh good, 'cause that's our specialty," Langley piped up from another computer.

"So, where's the lovely Agent Scully tonight?" Frohike inquired.

"She's on a date," Mulder replied flatly. Frohike smiled.

"You're just saying that to make me jealous!" Mulder looked at him.

"Believe me Frohike I wish I were," he shot back, a little quieter, before turning to Langley. "I need you to find out everything you can on a guy. Name's Michael Collins."

"I'm on it," Langley replied confidently and began furiously tapping on his keyboard. "I'll start with Births, Marriages and Deaths, see if anything comes up there. Then I'll go on to prisons, police files, mental institutes and hospitals."

"This Michael Collins," Frohike spoke after a few moments. "Is he Scully's date?"

"Yeah, and I don't trust him one bit. There's something about him. I can't put my finger on it but something's not right there." He paused before adding sadly, "Scully doesn't seem to see it though." Frohike put a comforting arm round Mulder's shoulders.

"Welcome to my world my friend."  
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Scully was just putting the finishing touches to her make up when there was a knock at her door. She grabbed her purse from off her bed, flipped off the light and crossed the living room to open the door. Michael smiled at her as she pulled it open.

"You look fantastic," he commented before leaning over to steal a kiss. And she did. She had on a simple black dress that ended just below her knees. Her hair was up with a few errant strands falling down at the back, gently scraping her neck.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied with a smile, grabbing her jacket and purse, before closing and locking the door behind them.  
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"What've you got Langley?" Mulder asked, responding to his friends call.

"Something weird. No record of this Michael Collins is over three years old." Mulder's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Yeah? What else you got?"

"Erm, never married, no children, not dead." Frohike snorted.

"I think we'd established that dude." Langley shot him a look. Mulder intervened, sensing trouble.

"Ok guys as helpful as an argument would be right now, could we concentrate on the problem at hand?"

"What if there is no problem Mulder?" Langley inquired. "What if he's just a normal guy interested in Scully? What then?" Mulder paused for a moment before replying.

"I'll deal with that if and when it happens. Please carry on digging." Langley sighed quietly before resuming his tapping on the keyboard. "I'll try hospitals then. You wouldn't happen to know where he lived before he came here would you?" Mulder shook his head.

"Scully hasn't exactly been forthcoming with information about him. It's almost as if she doesn't want me to know much about him." The room then went silent, save for the tapping sound of Langley's fingers hitting the keys.  
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A few hours later Scully opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside, closely followed by Michael who shut the door behind them. He turned from the door and walked towards Scully, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"I had a really great time tonight Dana. In fact, I have a great time whenever I'm with you." She smiled and he leaned in, capturing her lips in a tender, lingering kiss. His hands gently pushed the jacket from her shoulders, which landed silently on the couch, then slide down and round her waist. She tensed before abruptly pulling away. Michael looked at her, his face a mixture of hurt and confusion.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I guess I'm just not comfortable with… that side of things just yet. I'm sorry." His response was a warm smile.

"That's fine," he replied, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "You've been through a hell of a lot, it's only natural you're going to be a bit wary of … that side of things." She smiled slightly against his chest at him using her words back on her. He tenderly kissed the top of her head before pulling away. As he did this Scully's thoughts couldn't help but flick to Mulder and how he usually kissed the top of her head, if not her forehead. Internally she shook the thought away and forced herself to pay attention to what Michael was saying.

"I've got a bit of an early start tomorrow so I'd better get going." She nodded, following him to the door. He kissed her one last time on the threshold before turning and walking down the hallway to the elevator. She watched him go for a few moments before going back inside her apartment and shutting the door behind her.  
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Mulder was sat on the Gunmen's couch, his mind whirring. What would he do if Michael were just a normal decent guy? What if his and Scully's relationship progressed? He wasn't sure how he'd deal with it. He'd been used to having her all to himself for so long that the thought of sharing her with another man was too weird. He knew it was selfish but he had grown to think of Scully as his. He couldn't imagine her no longer being that. He was wrenched away from his thoughts by the sound of Langley calling his name. He shook his head to clear it of the previous thoughts before standing and crossing the room to the computer terminal where Langley was sat.

"What is it?"

"I found something." Was the reply. Mulder nodded, bending slightly to get a better view of the screen.

"Ok. Show me what you've got."

"I was trawling through hospital records when I stumbled across this guys medical record. Again, it only begins three years ago. That was nothing new so I dug a little further." He clicked the mouse and brought up a site with the heading 'Belle view Clinic'. "I found records of our guy being discharged from this place." Mulder shook his head.

"So? Why is that of interest?" Langley smiled.

"I thought you might ask that. Belle view Clinic is renowned for its status as one of the country's best clinics for cosmetic surgery procedures." Mulder's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Hang on a second. You said he was discharged, he had to have been admitted in order to be discharged."

"That's the bizzarro part my friend. There is no record of a Michael Collins ever being admitted to Belle view."

"That's impossible!"

"Exactly what I thought buddy, so I dug a little deeper still and managed to come across a copy of Michael Collins' file. I've just about got it loaded. These places always take before and after shots of their patients to document the changes made. Here's the before picture of our guy." One click brought up a picture of Michael. "I've been working on getting up the picture of how he was before but it's taking a while to load." The whole room went quiet save for the whirring of the computer.

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Ok I know I'm evil leaving it at that cliffhanger, but it's getting to the really good part and I want to prolong it for a bit hehe. Sorry it's taken me a while to post but I've been uber busy with the school show. But it finished last night so I'll hopefully have some more free time on my hands YEY!  
Oh, and don't forget to hit the little button that makes me very happy (cough) review button (cough)

Lily  
-x-


	11. Chapter 11

Scully walked through her living room and was about to enter her bedroom when something caught her eye. She walked back over to the couch and picked up Michael's jacket that he'd left there. She'd have to call him, tell him it was here. Then the investigator in her took over. She slipped her hand inside each pocket in turn, not surprised when she found his wallet contained in one. Opening the jacket she then slips her hand into the inside pocket and is surprised when her fingers connect with something. Wrapping her fingers around it she pulled it from the confines of the material. It looked like a photo, folded up to fit into the pocket. Slowly she unfolded it, curiosity getting the better of her. Her eyes widened in shock at the image that greeted her eyes. She felt physically sick as she continued to stare at it, unable to wrench her gaze from the photo.

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"Hey buddy I got it." Mulder's head snapped up and focused on the screen. He blinked a couple of times and his mouth fell open in shock. There, staring back at him from the screen was the face of Evan Chandler.

"Scully." Was the only word he could muster as he ran across the room and out of the door, grabbing his coat as he went.

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In her hands was a picture of her. One of the ones Evan had taken while he'd been following her. She recognized it from the wall in his apartment. She had wondered for a split second how Michael had gotten hold of it, and then it clicked. He was Evan. She knew it. So many things seemed to make sense now. A knock at the door shattered through her thoughts. Photo and jacket still in hand she crossed the room to the door and pulled it open, still in a slight state of shock. Standing there, to her horror was Michael. He smiled at her before he noticed what she had in her hands. Then his smile faded slightly.

"Oh, you found the photo. That one was always my favorite. I hid it so that I could keep it. It goes everywhere with me you know." Her eyes widened as she came to her senses. Dropping the photo and jacket she grabbed the door and pushed against it to close it. But 'Michael' was slightly quicker. He pushed back against her, matching her force, before violently thrusting the door back. It knocked Scully off her feet and sent her flying backwards into the coffee table. It crashed underneath her and she hit her head hard on one of the wooden legs. Dazed and drifting through consciousness, she watched as he stepped inside the apartment and locked the door. She thought she could hear ringing in her ears as her eyes fluttered closed and she blacked out for a moment.

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Hehehe don't you just love cliffhangers?! Will post more soon, as long as there are still people out there reading this lol. Oh and don't forget to review, tis a good way of letting me know I haven't bored yall with my long absences.  
Lily  
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	12. Chapter 12

Sorry it's been a while guys, but I've been up to my eyeballs with school work, plus stuff for uni as I'm hopefully heading off to Leeds to study Forensic Psychology in September. Hope you enjoy this chapter and I promise I will update again soon.

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"Come on, come on," Mulder muttered partly to himself and partly to the traffic that was refusing to move around him as he hung up and tried Scully's house phone again. All it did was ring. "Come on Scully pick up the Goddamn phone." He cursed quietly as it switched to answer machine after what had seemed like the hundredth ring.

"Hi this is Dana Scully, I can't get to the phone right now but if you leave a message after the beep I'll get back to you as soon as I can." The machine beeped and Mulder started to leave a message but a soft click on the other end of the line stopped him.

"Scully? Are you ok?" He asked, assuming she'd picked up. Nothing. "Scully?" He spoke again. There was a muffled sound in the background that he couldn't quite make out. A few moments later there was another sound, much more distinct, that made his blood run cold.

"Mulder!" Then came a dull thud before the line went dead and the dial tone rang ominously in his ear.

"Shit," he groaned slightly before pounding his fist on the car horn in a futile attempt to get the traffic moving.

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Back in the apartment 'Michael' lifted the now unconscious Scully off of the floor and carried her across the living room and into her bedroom. He passed the light switch without so much as a second glance so the room was illuminated only by a streetlamp outside. Gently he lay her down on the bed, smoothing some hair away from her face and wiping a trickle of blood that emanated at her hairline and was already starting to make its way down past her eye. He stared at her for a moment, guilt flashed across his face as he watched her. It remained there for a few fleeting seconds before vanishing and being replaced by his usual stoic expression.

Checking that she was still out cold he left the room and crossed the living room to the front door, grabbing her car keys from where they lay on the table. Unlocking the door quickly and quietly he exited the apartment before closing the door silently behind him. He moved stealthily down the corridor, opting to take the stairs rather than risking being delayed by the elevator. In no time he was standing beside Scully's car and opening the trunk. He rooted around for a few moments before locating what he wanted and pulling it clear of the trunk, shutting it with a click before locking the car and going back into the building. As he moved, the metal gas can glinted in the dim lamplight.

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"Finally!" Mulder muttered to himself as the traffic at last began to move. Pressing down on the accelerator he sped along the roads, countless buildings and other vehicles whizzing past, nothing more than a colored blur outside his window. His mind drifted back to the phone call, his memory replaying it over and over, every sound, the one word from the other end of the line, then the thud and the abruptness of the disconnect. He hated to admit it but, unless he got there really soon and Scully was able to hold him off for a bit, she was in serious trouble.

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Back in the apartment Evan stepped inside and locked the door before crossing to the dining room table and setting the gas can down gently. He had this planned for so long nothing could go wrong. Sure, her unexpectedly finding the photo and discovering his identity had been a slight drawback through sheer carelessness on his part, but nothing that couldn't be fixed or worked around, as he had demonstrated. After a few seconds contemplation he crossed the room to Scully's desk and picked up her handcuffs. Like a shadow he moved silently throughout the apartment and slipped into the bathroom.

Flicking on the light he stood in front of the medicine cabinet. He watched his reflection for a moment before opening the door and peering inside. His eyes searched the shelves, scanning the names on each bottle till he found the one he wanted. He planted it there a few weeks previously, in preparation for what he would do. Lifting it out from behind a bottle of aspirin he held it in his hand for a moment, reading the label. Chloroform. He didn't want her to suffer anymore than necessary. With a small sigh he closed the cabinet and grabbed a small washcloth before exiting the bathroom and flicking off the light. He knew exactly what he had to do.

He walked into her bedroom clutching the bottle, handcuffs and washcloth in his hands. He crossed to her bed and sat down on the edge of it next to her unconscious form. He caressed her cheek tenderly before leaning in close to her ear.

"I'm sorry I had to lie to you but I'm under no delusions, I know you would never have said two words to me if you'd know who I really was. You probably would've called the police if I'd come anywhere near you. And I couldn't have that. I had to be near you, just until I found the right time to do this. I wasn't intentionally planning on doing it tonight but you finding the photo gave me no choice; I have to do this before you have a chance to get to your partner and tell him everything. Then all I'll end up with is back behind bars and without you.

I've accepted that there's no way for us to be together here and now, not with that annoying meddling Mulder, always messing things up for us. He just can't stand to see us happy. Well, if we can't be together in this life, then I'm certain there's a place for our love in the next." He pulled away from her ear then and placed the handcuffs round her wrists, shutting them with a soft click. He then prepared the Chloroform rag before leaning back in to whisper in her ear again.

"Don't worry my sweetheart, you won't feel a thing. I wouldn't do that to you." He leaned back again and placed his hand with the rag over her mouth and nose. Her eyes shot open as he applied pressure and she began to struggle but it was no use. With his free hand he held her cuffed wrists down to prevent her from using them to extricate herself from his hold.

After about a minute or so her struggling began to subside and her eyes fluttered shut. Then she was still once more. Only when he was sure that she was out did he remove the cloth from her face. He placed a tender kiss on her lips before standing and moving to leave the room. As he reached the door he paused and turned back round to face her. Smiling slightly he spoke quietly to her unconscious body.

"I won't be long darling. I just need to prepare a few more things. Then everything will be set. No one, not even your precious partner will be able to touch us then."

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Love it? Hate it? Want to find out what happens? Then hit the little review button and all your question will be answered lol  
Lily  
-x-


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys. I know you're all probably getting annoyed with how long it's taken me to post. I wouldn't be surprised if you've all given up on me by now! My stupid computer has been being gay and not letting me open the Word Perfect document that contains the story. I've been trying but it's just been freezing up and refusing to open it. But, lo and behold, today it decided to be nice and let me open it so here's more story! Hope there's still some people reading!

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After leaving the now drugged Scully in the bedroom he walked back into the living room and turned off all the lights, as well as the heating. Then he grabbed the gas can from where he'd placed it beside Scully's desk. Slowly he unscrewed the cap before proceeding to drench the room in petrol. Carpet, curtains, table, chairs, nowhere was untouched by the fuel. He stopped before the can was empty and went back into the bedroom. Using up almost the last of it, Evan made a ring around the bed and doused the curtains as well. The can now almost spent he placed it inside the bathroom before walking back through to the kitchen. Opening the first drawer he came to he dug around for a little until he found what he needed. Clasping his hand round the box of matches he pulled them out before shutting the door and heading back into the bedroom. He sat next to her on the bed for a few moments. Smoothing her hair he opened his mouth to speak.

"This is it now, not much longer to wait. You won't feel anything my darling and when you wake we'll be in a better place and, most importantly, we'll be together and safe from any interference. You just carry on sleeping sweetheart. It'll all be over soon." He leant in and kissed her one last time before standing and going round the other side of the bed. Sitting down on the edge of it he swung his legs until he was lying next to her. He then took a match from the box and with steady hands struck it until it lit. With a simple motion of the wrist he threw the match across the room.

It landed on the petrol soaked carpet and ignited in a burst of red-hot flames. The flames followed the guide trail of the petrol, forming a blazing ring of fire around the bed. The blaze ran out of the room and into the living room, eating up the petrol like a ravenous animal. It climbed the walls and began licking the ceiling, consuming the fabric of curtains, carpet and furniture in a ball of blazing red and orange. It didn't take long for the apartment to become an inferno. Beside the unconscious Scully on the bed, Evan coughed a little before closing his eyes, a contented smile playing on his lips. Nothing could go wrong now, he thought, as he let the fumes overpower him.

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After what had seemed like years Mulder finally pulled up outside Scully's apartment building. He jumped out of his car, locked it and was just about to run inside the building when something caught his eye and he stopped short. He looked up at the building to Scully's floor and inside one of the windows of her apartment he saw the unmistakable glowing of fire. Smoke was also billowing from the floor. Cursing under his breath he sprinted into the building. Ignoring the elevator he burst through the fire door and took the stairs two at a time till he reached Scully's floor. A few people were in the hallway, which was starting to fill with smoke. The FBI agent in Mulder kicked in and he began ushering people out of the building, instructing someone to call the fire department at the same time.

When he'd cleared the hallway Mulder approached Scully's door and without a second thought, kicked it in. Flames sprung from the apartment, causing Mulder to step back a little and shield his face from the heat. He stood there, staring at the flames, unable to move. Panic rose inside him as he watched the flames dance and curl round the frame of the door. He knew he had to get Scully out of there; he didn't know how the fire department would be, but his intense fear of fire kept him rooted to the spot. Shaking his head in an attempt to pull himself together and gather his thoughts Mulder took a cautious step towards the door. He knew Scully would do the same for him, had he been in that situation.

His mind was made up. Covering his mouth and nose with his jacket Mulder made his way into the apartment. Flames were everywhere and the heat was unbearable, but he knew he had to get Scully out of there. That thought was the only thing that kept him running back out of the apartment. He tried calling her name but the roar of the flames drowned his voice out. Sweat ran down his face in rivers as he battled against the blaze and fought his way further into the apartment. He coughed as smoke began to seep its way into his lungs with every breath he took but still he didn't turn back.

Dodging flames that licked the doorframe Mulder entered the bedroom and saw Scully and Evan lying on the bed, both unconscious. Flames surrounded them, making it next to impossible to reach the bed. Mulder resolved to do the only thing he could; he jumped through the flames that circled the bed. The heat was excruciating but only for a split second as he passed through the flames.

Quickly he scooped Scully's lifeless body up into his arms, but not before wrenching the sheet from the bed to wrap around them both as a slight attempt at protecting both from the intensity of the inferno. With only a brief regard for Evans unresponsive form Mulder dashed back through the flames and the burning apartment and out into the hallway. Mulder, with Scully still unconscious in his arms, had only just reached the door to the stairs when an explosion erupted from the apartment.

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Review please so I know yall are still there! I'll post again soon.  
Lily  
-x-


	14. Chapter 14

One week later.

Mulder walked down the corridor of Saint Katherine's Hospital a few days after he had been discharged. He had only suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation during the fire but the doctors had wanted to keep him in for a little for observation. He still had a bandage on his arm, covering the worst of the burns. When he reached her room he rapped lightly on the door before entering without waiting for a reply. He closed the door behind him and moved to sit on the edge of her bed. She was sleeping but stirred as he sat on the bed. After a moment she opened her eyes to see him and smiled wearily.

"Hey." Mulder was the first to speak.

"Hi." Her voice was slightly raspy, still not quite recovered from the tube that had been there to aid her breathing when she had first been brought in.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad. I've definitely been better though." That statement was true enough. She didn't look too bad; she had just suffered some minor burns to her face and arms and there had been minimal smoke inhalation due to the Chloroform. There were a few beats of silence before the question was returned.

"How are you doing? Have they discharged you yet?"

"Yea, I got sprung a few days ago. I don't think the nurses could stand me any longer." She smiled and he gently took her hand in his.

"I spoke with someone from the fire department yesterday. They said it would be a while before you could move back in." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully before he delivered the other piece of news. "They also recovered Evan's body. They ran a DNA test to confirm that it was him. He's dead Scully." She nodded slightly, taking in what he had just said. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Mulder's voice broke her thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine," she replied, none too convincingly. He looked at her, communicating his skepticism and she turned her head downward. His knee jerk reaction to this movement kicked in and he cupped her cheek gently before tilting her head back up so she looked him in the eye again. She smiled slightly but could not hide the tears that brimmed her eyes. She held them back though, determined not to let them fall. Wordlessly he lent forward and wrapped his arms around her small frame, pulling her to him. She sank into his embrace gratefully, burying her head against his shoulder, and she could contain her tears no longer. They flowed freely down her cheeks, landing on the material of his t-shirt and darkening it. Small sobs emanated from her and her held her tighter, smoothing her hair and soothing her. After a few minutes of silence he spoke.

"Everything's ok now Scully. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore."  
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Sorry about the massive delay in posting but I've computer trouble and been doing A-Levels. I am going to post the next (and final!!) chapter straight away though so you won't have long to wait.  
Don't forget - feedback makes for a very happy writer!!!!  
Lily  
-x-


	15. Chapter 15

Two weeks later.

Scully had been discharged from hospital a few days previously and now both she and Mulder were sat in Mulder's apartment watching a movie. After quite a lengthy discussion Scully had been persuaded by Mulder to stay at his apartment until hers was habitable again. To try and take her mind off things Mulder had suggested they watch a movie. As they had sat down together to watch Fatal Attraction Mulder hadn't been particularly sure that it was the most suitable of choices. Scully hadn't protested however, had simply stated that she'd never seen it and, to his slight surprise, had seemed perfectly comfortable with watching it.

On the television Michael Douglas' wife was running her bath. Mulder had seen the movie countless times before so he knew what was coming. He turned his head to watch Scully. She was glued to the screen and he couldn't help but smile to himself slightly as he watched her tense then gasp slightly, causing him to turn his attention back to the TV. Glen Close was now stood in the bathroom, holding the knife. Still listening to the dialogue Mulder again turned his attentions back to Scully, watching her reactions. He found them more entertaining than the film itself. He saw her tense again and jump slightly as Michael Douglas grabbed Glen Close and held her under the water in the bath. After a few moments she stopped struggling and Scully relaxed a bit. Mulder smiled inwardly. He knew what was coming next.

A few moments later Glen Close burst up out of the water and lunged at Michael Douglas before his wife shot her and she slid down the wall and back into the bath. Scully screamed and jumped about three feet in the air. Mulder tried to suppress his laughter but failed miserably. She shot him a look before grabbing a cushion and whacking him over the head with it. This only served to make him laugh harder. Scully smiled slightly before pulling her arm back and swinging the cushion at Mulder's head again. Only this time Mulder was ready for it. With one hand he grabbed her wrist and with the other he grabbed the cushion trying to pull it from her grasp. But Scully was having none of it. She tightened her grip on the cushion and in the end, instead of pulling the cushion away from Scully, Mulder ended up pulling her towards him. She laughed slightly but stopped as their eyes met. They stared at each other for a few moments before Mulder broke the silence.

"How bout we call a truce to this pillow fight?" Scully smiled and nodded.

"That sounds fine." Mulder pulled the cushion from Scully's grasp but couldn't resist tapping her lightly on the head with it before throwing it aside.

"What happened to the truce?"

"I had to get you back for hitting me," he replied simply. They fell silent and it was only then that Mulder noticed he still had hold of Scully's wrist. She appeared to have noticed too but was making no move to pull it away. After a few more moments of silence it was broken again, by Scully this time.

"Thank you."

"What for? Taking the pillow?" Mulder replied and Scully smiled.

"No, for getting me out of my apartment. You saved my life."

"Ah it was nothing. You would've done the same for me."

"That's not the point Mulder. I'm not afraid of fire, but you are and you still came in and got me."

"Well I couldn't let my partner get fried could I?" They fell silent again for a few beats before Scully spoke again.

"I owe you an apology Mulder. You thought there was something odd about 'Michael' from the start but I refused to believe you. I'm sorry."

"Ah it's ok. I'm used to you not believing me." He smiled and she couldn't help smiling slightly back.

"It seems to me that every guy I like or is interested in me is either a murderer, insane, a death fetishist, married or gay." Mulder couldn't help but laugh a little at this. But Scully didn't smile so he quickly checked himself. He placed an arm round her shoulders and pulled her towards him. She sank into his embrace without protest. He smoothed her hair and took a deep breath before he started talking.

"You know not every guy that likes you is any of those things." She turned her head and looked up at him questioningly. Their eyes linked for the second time that night, only this time Mulder did something about it. He leant in slowly and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn't respond for a second and he was about to pull away, scared he'd gone too far, when she kissed him back. The kiss was soft, almost chaste, and lasted only a few seconds before he pulled away. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She smiled softly at him and he moved his hand to cup her cheek. Wordlessly he leant in and kissed her again. She kissed him back without hesitation this time. Her hand snaked round his neck and pulled him closer to her, as his hand moved further round her back while the other ran through her hair.

As they kissed Scully realized that she'd been looking too hard for the man of her dreams; he'd been right here under her nose all along.

THE END.

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It's finally finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope yall didn't get too annoyed with me for leaving it ages between posts. Hope you enjoyed both the stories despite the horrible things I've done to Scully. Also if you're interested I'm currently in the process of co-authoring an X-Files/Pirates of the Caribbean crossover called "Los Enemigos" with my friend Sirocco.Flow which we've started to post (it's in the X-Files section, naturally) Shameless plug I know but I don't care... READ IT!!!!!!!!!  
Lily  
-x-


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